US Marines missing in jet and aircraft crash near Japan

A Japanese coastguard ship patrols the area where two Marine aircraft crashed in the early hours of ThursdayKyodo via Reuters

A huge military operation was launched today to rescue five US marines who disappeared after a fighter jet and a tanker aircraft crashed into the sea off Japan.

An F/A-18 Hornet and a KC-130 Hercules refuelling aircraft, based at Iwakuni air base in western Japan, collided in mid-air in the early hours of Thursday morning, 55 miles off the Japanese island of Shikoku.

Two Marines were recovered during the course of the day. One, who had been in the sea for about four hours, was said to be in a “fair” condition, according to a US military statement. The other was “under evaluation”. There was no confirmation that he had survived his ordeal.

“We are in the middle of a massive rescue operation,” the commander…

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